Concrete form work clamp

ABSTRACT

A clamp assembly for a concrete form such as is used in pouring concrete walls; the form includes a plurality of uprights spaced by a series of transverse struts; the uprights are connected at the rear by a number of transverse beam members overlying the rear face of the uprights; a plurality of stiffback columns are disposed rearwardly of the concrete form for flat abutment against the transverse beams across the uprights; the stiffback columns are connected to the uprights by means of one or more work clamp assemblies each of which has a plate extending horizontally between the columns and the uprights which at one end is provided with a jaw clamp adapted to be engaged with a transverse strut spacing adjacent uprights and which is clamped thereto by means of a wedge member, which has an abutment at one end engaging against the next adjacent upright; the work clamp plate is further provided with a longitudinally adjustable clamp member rearwardly of the jaw clamp for clamping engagement of the work clamp assembly against an immediately adjacent rearwardly disposed stiffback column to retain the stiffback column in aligned position against the transverse beams across the uprights so that, when the work clamp assembly is properly secured and adjusted, the uprights of the concrete form will be rigidly secured in aligned vertical position.

States atent mite-1: Farley [72] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..249/46, 249/189, 249/219 W; [51] Int. Cl ..E04g 17/02 [58] Field of Search ..249/46, 47, 45, 219 W, 44,

249/188, 189, 192, 216, 205, 33, 34; 248/235, 226 A, 226 B, 226 C, 226 D, 226 E; 52/548, 713; 269/231, 234, 122-125 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,488,028 l/ 1970 Verburgh ..249/33 X 3,429,548 2/1969 Taylor ....249/2l9 W X 2,879,576 3/1959 lmonetti ..249/l92 2,868,250 l/l959 l-lolmboe ..269/l23 X 2,805,833 9/1957 Dixon ..249/219 W X 2,250,064 7/1941 Jorsch." ..249/33 X 1,674,280 6/1928 Eklof ..269/l22 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown Attorney-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor Mar. 14, 1972 [5 7] ABSTRACT A clamp assembly for a concrete form such as is used in pouring concrete walls; the form includes a plurality of uprights spaced by a series of transverse struts; the uprights are connected at the rear by a number of transverse beam members overlying the rear face of the uprights; a plurality of stiffback columns are disposed rearwardly of the concrete fonn for flat abutment against the transverse beams across the uprights; the stiffback columns are connected to the uprights by means of one or more work clamp assemblies each of which has a plate extending horizontally between the columns and the uprights which at one end is provided with a jaw clamp adapted to be engaged with a transverse strut spacing adjacent uprights and which is clamped thereto by means of a wedge member, which has an abutment at one end engaging against the next adjacent upright; the work clamp plate is further provided with a longitudinally adjustable clamp member rearwardly of the jaw clamp for clamping engagement of the work clamp assembly against an immediately adjacent rearwardly disposed stifiback column to retain the stiffback column in aligned position against the transverse beams across the uprights so that, when the work clamp assembly is properly secured and adjusted, the uprights of the concrete form will be rigidly secured in aligned vertical position.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT D. FARLEY ATTORNEYS PATENTEDHAR 14 I972 SHEET 2 BF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT D. FARLEY BYQJQMI M ZZMM g @23 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT D. FARLEY jmz ATTORNEYS CONCRETE FORM WORK CLAMP BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to work clamps utilized in the building construction field and more in particular to a work clamp assembly for a concrete form used in the erection of concrete walls, particularly foundation walls.

In the construction of buildings, the basement or foundation walls are usually erected from poured concrete poured in between spaced forms which are oppositely spaced a distance corresponding to the required wall thickness of the foundation wall.

The concrete forms are usually made up of a wood frame including a plurality of uprights spaced by a number of transverse struts known in the trade as cripples and connected rearwardly by overlying horizontal beam members known in the trade as whalers. The front or inner-face of the uprights of the form is covered by sheets of plywood or the like to retain the concrete poured in between the opposed frame members.

Considerable difficulties have been encountered in retaining the opposite wood frames of the form in proper vertical position relative to each other and relative to the foundation floor base, which becomes particularly more difficult as the concrete is being poured, due to the extreme weight of the concrete mass tending to displace the opposite frames of the form outwardly.

Various arrangements have been provided in the past to reinforce the forms or to prevent their displacement when the concrete is poured, including intricate costly stiffening and bracing means which, however, are time consuming in assembly and disassembly and in many instances of such nature as not to be reusable again.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved stiffening and reinforcing means for a concrete form adapted to retain the opposite frame members of the form in proper vertically aligned position.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is the provision of stiffback members disposed rearwardly of the frame of the form in vertical alignment therewith comprising a plurality of columns adapted to abut against the rearwardly disposed horizontal whalers of the form and clamped thereto by means of a novel clamp assembly interconnecting a stiffback column with a transverse cripple of the form.

It is another object of the present invention, to provide an improved universal work clamp assembly for a concrete form of the above construction having a jaw clamp at one end adapted to be wedged in engagement over a cripple member of the frame of the form and an adjustable slidable plate clamp member adapted to be wedged into engagement against the rear face of an adjacent stiffback column to clamp the stiffback columns against the horizontal whalers of the form in vertical alignment with the uprights of the form.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a universal work clamp assembly made up of a longitudinal plate having adjustable clamping means disposed thereon to be locked in clamping engagement against and over frame members of a concrete form having releasable wedge type locking means for quick assembly and disassembly of the work clamp with a minimum amount of effort and labor.

Additional novel features and advantages of the present improved work clamp assembly will become more readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description with reference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which:

FIG. I is a transverse vertical cross section through a concrete form assembly including a stiffback arrangement in which the present invention may be utilized;

FIG. 2 is a partial rear plan view of the concrete form assembly shown in FIG. 1 as seen along line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary partial vertical cross section through the upper portion of one half of a concrete form of FIG. 1 illustrating the incorporation of the present improved work clamp assembly thereto;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of the concrete form and work clamp assembly of the present invention as seen in the direction of the arrows 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective illustration of the present improved work clamp assembly utilized in the concrete form assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the improved work clamp assembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the improved work clamp assembly of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of the improved work clamp assembly of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional form assembly 10 for a poured concrete foundation wall or the like comprises op positely disposed frame members 12 and 14, respectively, which are spaced in parallel aligned relationship at a distance corresponding to the desired wall thickness of the concrete wall.

Each of the frame sections 12 and 14 are made up of a plurality of vertical uprights 16, which, in instances, may be assembled one on top of each other, as shown in FIG. 1, and vertically aligned with each other, depending on the required height of the poured concrete wall. The uprights l6 commonly are wood beams or struts such as 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 and are supported on the base floor 18 of the foundation. The uprights 16 are spaced in parallel vertical alignment by means of a plurality of horizontal cross members 20 commonly known in the trade as cripples.

The inwardly towards each other facing sides of the plurality of spaced uprights 16 of opposed frame sections I2 and 14 are clad by panels 22, made from boards of plywood or the like, to form a continuous longitudinal rectangular enclosure 24 adapted to receive and contain the poured concrete indicated at 26 in FIG. 1.

As seen in FIG. 1, the frame sections 12 and 14 are spaced in vertically opposed position by means of spacers 28, which may be steel or wire rods and which, normally, remain within the poured concrete 26 after the frame sections 12 and 14 are removed to form concrete reinforcing members.

Normally, the rear sides of the frame sections 12 and 14 are connected together by a plurality of horizontal beam members 30 known in the construction field as whalers, which may be 2 by 4 wood struts grouped in pairs and secured to the top or adjacent the top, intermediate the top and bottom and adjacent the bottom of the upright studs 16, as seen in FIG. 1 in connection with the frame member 12. It will be understood that a similar arrangement may be provided for the frame section 14.

The whalers 30 are adapted to be abutted by upright stiffback members 32, which may be studs similar to the studs 16, and which are known in the trade as stiffbacks. Normally, a plurality of stiffbacks are disposed in vertical aligned and longitudinal spaced position for abutment against all of the whalers 30 as seen in FIG. 1 to attempt to stiffen the frame sections 12 and 14 respectively when the concrete is poured into the space 24.

Although the stiffbacks 32 may be secured to the whalers 30 by a variety of conventional means such as nailing, or by screws, etc., these conventional methods are time consuming and laborous and, normally, during disassembly of the concrete form, the stiffbacks will often be damaged and are thus not reusable. Additionally, these conventional fastening means do not assure proper vertical alignment of the stiffbacks with the uprights 16 of the concrete form and maintenance of the uprights in the required vertical position.

According to the present invention and with reference to the remaining figures, the stiftbacks 32 are clampingly secured to respective studs 16 of either frame section 12 or 14 by means of the present improved work clamp assembly generally indicated at 34, which is best shown in a separate view in FIG. 6.

FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of the concrete form similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the improved work clamp 34 secured in clamping position as seen from the side.

FIG. 4 illustrates the improved work clamp 34 secured position as seen from the rear and FIG. 5 illustrates the improved work clamp 34 in secured position as seen from the front.

With particular reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, the improved work clamp assembly 34 of the present invention is comprised of an elongated base plate 36 which at the front end is provided with a jaw clamp arrangement 38. The jaw clamp arrangement 38, as particularly seen in FIG. 8, has a C-shaped opening formed by a transverse rear wall 40 extending upwardly in transverse direction from the elongated base plate 36 at a spaced distance from the front end of the base plate. The upper end of the rear or inner wall 40 of the jaw portion 38 of the clamp is joined by a longitudinal portion 42 extending forwardly of and in parallel overlying relationship to the front end 37 of the base plate 36 and has an upstanding flange 44 at its forward end.

The upper portion 42 of the jaw formation supports a vertically adjustable upper jaw member 46 which is substantially U-shaped in cross section to enclose the edges and lower sides of the upper portion 42. The upper U-shaped jaw member 46, as particularly seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, is provided with opposed inwardly extending flanges 48 and 50, respectively adapted to abut upon the top surface of the upper portion 42 of the jaw formation 38 to thereby retain the upper clamping member 46.

The top surface of the end portion 37 of the base plate 36 and the bottom surface of the U-shaped upper clamping member 46, which face each other, are each provided with gripping means 52 which are shown herein, for example, by comprising sections of expanded metal, however, any other similar arrangement may be provided to provide a firm gripping contact with the member clamped in the jaw formation 38 of the clamp assembly.

The upper portion 42 and simultaneously the upper clamp member 46, are supported by and reinforced by a web or brace member 54 secured to the upper portion 42 and extending longitudinally rearwardly thereof and behind the inner wall 40 of the jaw formation for securement as by welding or the like to the upper surface of the base plate 36 as seen in FIG. 7 and 8. This arrangement provides a limited flexibility of the upper portion 44 and upper clamp member 46 relative to lower portion 37 for simultaneously reinforcing the clamp.

The brace 54 is provided with a longitudinal slot 56 in the upper portion of the brace which extends over the upper clamp portion 42. The slot 56 is adapted to receive a wedge member 58 for extension therethrough in transverse direction relative to the front end clamp portion 38 and base plate 36. The wedge member 58 has a lower substantially horizontal surface 60 which normally abuts upon the opposed upper edges of the opposed side flanges 45 and 47 of the U-shaped upper clamp member 46. The wedge member has an upper inclined surface 62 and both upper and lower surfaces 60 and 62, respectively, are joined at one end by a head portion 64 as the larger end of the wedge member and at the opposite smaller end by an abutment plate 66 provided for a purpose to appear. Thus, the clamp portion 38 of the clamp member 34 is actuated for clamping engagement around a member received between the lower front end clamp portion 37 and upper clamp member 46, then moving the wedge member 58 forcibly through the slot 56 in the direction of the abutment plate 66 thereby causing the upper clamp member 46 to be displaced vertically towards to the lower front end clamp portion 37 in clamping engagement with the member disposed between the front end clamping portion 38, as will be fully explained further on in the description.

The work clamp assembly 34 is further provided with a second clamping means 68 disposed rearwardly of the front end clamping portion 38 along the base plate 36.

The secondary clamping means 68 comprises a flat plate 70 horizontally aligned with the base plate 36 and slidingly disposed thereon by extension of the base plate 36 through a portion of the plate 70. On one side of the base plate 36 the slidable clamping plate extends horizontally outwardly comprising a clamping section 72 adapted, in assembly, to clampingly abut against the rear side of a respective stiffback column 32 as seen in FIG. 3.

The base plate 36 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally aligned slots 74 for engagement therein of a second wedge 76 and the rear side of the clamping plate 70 is provided with a recess 78 which is longitudinally aligned with the slots 74.

The second wedge 76 comprises a front edge 80 and a rear edge 82 which is adapted for insertion in a selected slot 74, whereby the front edge 80 engages within the recess 78 of the clamping plate 70, such that, when the wedge 76 is pounded through the slot 74, the clamping plate 70 will be moved forwardly along the base plate 36. Preferably, the wedge 76 is secured to the base plate 36 by means ofa chain or the like 84 to prevent the loss of the wedge 76 during disassembly of the clamp assembly.

The plurality of slots 74 spaced along the base plate 36 is provided to accommodate a variety of spacings between a stiffback column 32 and stud 16 of the frame section of the concrete form.

The work clamp 34 is preferably made of from heavy cross section metal plates to withstand continuous rough handling of the work clamps during assembly or disassembly without getting out of alignment.

Now referring back to FIGS. 3 through 5, which illustrates the installation of the work clamp assembly 34, the individually spaced stiffback columns 32 may be connected to each other by cross beams 33 and diagonal braces 35 as seen in FIG. 4, or similar connecting means, to retain the stiffback columns 32 in spaced parallel alignment with each other.

After the frame section 12, or respectively 14, of the concrete form 10 has been assembled and placed in position, the stiffback members 32 are placed in position behind the frame sections of the form for vertical alignment against all of the various whalers 30 which are part of the frame sections. Thereafter the work clamp assembly 34 is applied in a position such that the longitudinal base plate member 36 of the clamp assembly extends transversely between the upright struts 16 of the frame section and the stiffback column 32 and rearwardly therefrom.

The front end clamping portion 38 is placed over a cripple 20 of the frame section so that the lower front end portion 37 of the work clamp abuts against the under side of the cripple and the upper clamp member 46 extends over the top side of the cripple. The clamp assembly is then moved forwardly so that the rear side of the cripple abuts against the inner wall 40 of the clamping portion 38, as shown in FIG. 3. The front end of the work clamp 38 is placed over the cripple 20 adjacent a stud member 16 of the frame section, but not directly abutting against the stud member, so that the transverse wedge member 58 can be pounded in by force against the head portion 64 to move the wedge member in a direction towards the upright stud 16 thereby clamping the front end of the work clamp tightly onto the cripple 20, permitting the gripping means 52 on both opposed upper and lower surfaces to bite into the cripple. In that position, the end abutment plate 66 of the wedge member 58 is in tight abutment against the upright stud 16 of the frame section, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, to thereby straighten the stud 16 if the stud should have been displaced in longitudinal direction of the frame section.

As seen in FIG. 3 in the installed position of the work clamp assembly 34, the secondary clamping assembly 68 is positioned rearwardly of the stiffback column 32. The second wedge member 76 is inserted in a selected slot 74 determined by the spacing between the stud 16 and the stiffback 32 and is then pounded inwardly of the slot to thereby move the clamping plate 70, by means of engagement of the wedge member 76 within the recess 78 of the clamping plate, longitudinally along the base plate 36 into clamping engagement against the rear face of the stiff back column 32, to thereby tightly move the stiffback column 32 against the transverse whalers 30 of the frame section and into vertical parallel alignment with the upright studs 16. This relationship between the frame sections of the concrete form and the stiffbacks 32 is maintained as long as the work clamp assemblies are retained in that position.

It will be understood that, in practice, a plurality of work clamp assemblies 34 will be employed in vertically as well as longitudinally spaced positions along the outside of the concrete form assemblies 10, to obtain a rigid reinforcing assembly to retain the frame sections 12 and 14 in vertical parallel alignment with each other and relative to the base 18 of the foundation and prevent bulging outwardly of the frame section when the concrete is poured in between them.

Thus, it will be obvious from the foregoing description and in connection with the accompanying drawings that the present invention provides an improved work clamp assembly for a concrete form adapted to quickly and securely clamp stiffback members to the concrete form to maintain the form in parallel vertical alignment.

The present improved work clamp assembly provides quick detachment upon completion of the work and requires no permanent, laborous, time consuming and waste producing fastening means, such as nails, screws or the like, and thus does not cause damage to either the stiffback or the frame sections of the concrete form so that all the members of the concrete form and stiffback assembly are completely recoverable and can be reused many times over.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that various changes in arrangement and detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and essential characteristic of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

I. In combination with a concrete form assembly including a plurality of longitudinally spaced upright members connected by transverse cripples and a plurality of transverse whalers outwardly of the upright members adapted to be engaged by a stiffback assembly including a plurality of vertical columns, the improvement comprising: a work clamp assembly to releasably clamp said stiffback assembly to said concrete form; said work clamp assembly being composed ofa longitudinal support plate for horizontal extension across said upright members and said vertical columns; a first jaw type clamping member supported upon one end of said support plate for engagement over a selected one of said cripples between said uprights; a second clamping member longitudinally adjustably supported along said support plate rearwardly of said first clamping member for engagement against a selected one of said vertical columns of the stiffback assembly, and first and second wedge means engageable on said first and said second clamping member respectively to (l) tightly clamp said jaw type clamping member around said cripple and (2) to exert a compression force on said vertical column in a direction towards said upright members of said form to thereby, by abutment against said whalers draw said upright members and said vertical columns into vertical alignment with each other and provide a rigid external reinforcement for said concrete form.

2. In the combination as defined in claim 1, in which said first jaw type clamping member comprises a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion spaced from said lower gripping portion by an inner abutment wall, the front end of said jaw type clamping member being open to receive said cripple in between said upper and lower gripping portions; said upper gripping portion being engaged by said first wedge member for relative limited displacement of said upper gripping portion towards said lower gripping portion when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position.

3. In the combination as defined in claim 2, said upper clamping portion having an independently movable jaw member; a reinforcing brace extending longitudinally along said upper clamping portion; said reinforcing brace having a slot and said wedge member extending through said slot in a transverse direction of said longitudinal support plate whereby a lower surface of said first wedge member engages the upper edge of said jaw member so that, when said wedge member is moved in a clamping direction within said slot, said movable jaw member will be displaced relative to said lower gripping portion.

4. In the combination as defined in claim 3, in which said first wedge member is provided at its smaller tip portion with an abutment plate laterally outwardly of said jaw type clamping member adapted to be displaced in contact against an upright member of said concrete form adjacent said work clamp assembly when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position by simultaneously clamping said cripple in said jaw type clamping member.

5. In the combination as defined in claim 2, said upper and lower gripping portions of said jaw type clamping member being provided with serrated means facing each other and providing biting engagement with said cripple when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position to thereby lock said jaw type clamping member to said cripple.

6. In the combination as defined in claim 1, said second clamping member comprising a transverse plate slidably supported on said longitudinal support plate rearwardly of said first clamping member; said transverse plate having a portion extending horizontally from said longitudinal support plate for abutment against a vertical column of said stiffback assembly; said longitudinal support plate being provided with a plurality of slots spaced therealong in longitudinal direction for selective engagement by said second wedge member; said transverse plate having a recess in longitudinal alignment with said slots; said second wedge member engaging within said recess when said second wedge member is disposed within a selected one of said slots so that, upon movement of said second wedge member in clamping position said transverse plate will be moved along said support plate into clamping abutment against said vertical column of said stiffback assembly.

7. In a structural form assembly for erecting concrete walls or the like comprising oppositely disposed parallel frame sections spaced from each other a distance determined by the desired wall thickness; said space between said sections adapted to receive a mass of poured concrete; each of said frame sections made up of a plurality of longitudinally spaced uprights connected one to each other by means of a plurality of cripples extending between said uprights, a plurality of whalers disposed outwardly of each frame section at the rear thereof for transverse extension across the uprights and securement thereto; a stiffback assembly provided for each of said frame sections disposed in abutment against said whalers; said stiffback assembly including a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical columns positioned behind said uprights; the improvement comprising: releasable clamping means to clamp said stiffback assembly to said frame sections including a first clamp member adapted to be clamped over a selected one of said cripples between said uprights and a second clamp member adapted for force transmitting abutment against a selected one of said vertical columns in a direction of force towards said frame sections; first and second wedge means associated with said first and second clamp members respectively and operable to tighten and retain said clamp members in the clamped position; abutment means associated with said first clamp member and operable by said first wedge means to be moved into aligning force transmitting abutment against an adjacent upright of said frame section in co-acting relation with said first clamp member; said clamping members when clampingly interconnected between said frame section and means comprising a unitary assembly including a common support carrying both said first and second clamp member in adjustably spaced co-operating relationship relative to each other.

lOl027 

1. In combination with a concrete form assembly including a plurality of longitudinally spaced upright members connected by transverse cripples and a plurality of transverse whalers outwardly of the upright members adapted to be engaged by a stiffback assembly including a plurality of vertical columns, the improvement comprising: a work clamp assembly to releasably clamp said stiffback assembly to said concrete form; said work clamp assembly being composed of a longitudinal support plate for horizontal extension across said upright members and said vertical columns; a first jaw type clamping member supported upon one end of said support plate for engagement over a selected one of said cripples between said uprights; a second clamping member longitudinally adjustably supported along said support plate rearwardly of said first clamping member for engagement against a selected one of said vertical columns of the stiffback assembly, and first and second wedge means engageable on said first and said second clamping member respectively to (1) tightly clamp said jaw type clamping member around said cripple and (2) to exert a compression force on said vertical column in a direction towards said upright members of said form to thereby, by abutment against said whalers draw said upright members and said vertical columns into vertical alignment with each other and provide a rigid external reinforcement for said concrete form.
 2. In the combination as defined in claim 1, in which said first jaw type clamping member comprises a lower gripping portion and an upper gripping portion spaced from said lower gripping portion by an inner abutment wall, the front end of said jaw type clamping member being open to receive said cripple in between said upper and lower gripping portions; said upper gripping portion being engaged by said first wedge member for relative limited displacement of said upper gripping portion towards said lower gripping portion when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position.
 3. In the combination as defined in claim 2, said upper clamping portion having an independently movable jaw member; a reinforcing brace extending longitudinally along said upper clamping portion; said reinforcing brace having a slot and said wedge member extending through said slot in a transverse direction of said longitudinal support plate whereby a lower surface of said first wedge member engages the upper edge of said jaw member so that, when said wedge member is moved in a clamping direction within said slot, said movable jaw member will be displaced relative to said lower gripping portion.
 4. In the combination as defined in claim 3, in which said first wedge member is provided at its smaller tip portion with an abutment plate laterally outwardly of said jaw type clamping member adapted to be displaced in contact against an upright member of said concrete form adjacent said work clamp assembly when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position by simultaneously clamping said cripple in said jaw type clamping member.
 5. In the combination as defined in claim 2, said upper and lower gripping portions of said jaw type clamping member being provided with serrated means facing each other and providing biting engagement with said cripple when said first wedge member is moved into clamping position to thereby lock said jaw type clamping member to said cripple.
 6. In the combination as defined in claim 1, said second clamping member comprising a transverse plate slidably supported on said longitudinal support plate rearwardly of said first clamping member; said transverse plate having a portion extending horizontally from said longitudinal support plate for abutment against a vertical column of said stiffback assembly; said longitudinal support plate being provided with a plurality of slots spaced therealong in longitudinal direction for selective engagement by said second wedge member; said transverse plate having a recess in longitudinal alignment with said slots; said second wedge member engaging within said recess when said second wedge member is disposed within a selected one of said slots so that, upon movement of said second wedge member in clamping position said transverse plate will be moved along said support plate into clamping abutment against said vertical column of said stiffback assembly.
 7. In a structural form assembly for erecting concrete walls or the like comprising oppositely disposed parallel frame sections spaced from each other a distance determined by the desired wall thickness; said space between said sections adapted to receive a mass of poured concrete; each of said frame sections made up of a plurality of longitudinally spaced uprights connected one to each other by means of a plurality of cripples extending between said uprights, a plurality of whalers disposed outwardly of each frame section at the rear thereof for transverse extension across the uprights and securement thereto; a stiffback assembly provided for each of said frame sections disposed in abutment against said whalers; said stiffback assembly including a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical columns positioned behind said uprights; the improvement comprising: releasable clamping means to clamp said stiffback assembly to said frame sections including a first clamp member adapted to be clamped over a selected one of said cripples between said uprights and a second clamp member adapted for force transmitting abutment against a selected one of said vertical columns in a direction of force towards said frame sections; first and second wedge means associated with said first and second clamp members respectively and operable to tighten and retain said clamp members in the clamped position; abutment means associated with said first clamp member and operable by said first wedge means to be moved into aligning force transmitting abutment against an adjacent upright of said frame section in co-acting relation with said first clamp member; said clamping members when clampingly interconnected between said frame section and said stiffback assembly being operable to align and maintain said frame section in a substantially vertical position relative to a horizontal plane and to prevent outward bulging of said frame sections upon pouring of concrete between said frame sections.
 8. In the structure as defined in claim 7, said clamping means comprising a unitary assembly including a common support carrying both said first and second clamp member in adjustably spaced co-operating relationship relative to each other. 